WATCH: How To Make Kikiam

Kikiam is a popular street food that is frequently peddled by your local street vendor. But unlike the other street food, kikiam is more like a Chinese meatball formed into a sausage shape. Its unique flavor comes from the five-spice powder that seasons the mixture which also includes carrots, green onions, fish, and ground pork. It's all processed into a paste before being formed into the sausage-looking lengths we see being cooked alongside other street food such as the fish, squid, and chicken balls.

Kikiam

Takes 30 minutes plus chilling

Makes 8 rolls

1 kilogram ground pork

1/2 kilogram white fish fillets

2 cups red onions, peeled, roughly sliced

1/3 cup garlic, peeled

1 cup carrots, peeled, roughly sliced

2 tablespoons green onions

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons sugar

1-2 teaspoons five-spice powder

Oil, for frying

1

In the bowl of a food processor, add ground pork, fish fillets, onions, garlic, carrots, green onions, cornstarch, salt, pepper, sugar, and five-spice powder. Process the mixture until finely mixed and becomes a paste consistency, scraping down the sides as needed. Pulse the mixture to evenly distribute the seasonings. Transfer to a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2

Place the meat mixture on long sheets of aluminum foil and form into rolls.

3

Preheat a steamer. Steam kikiam for 15 minutes. Cool then keep refrigerated until ready to cook. Kikiam can be stored in the freezer for a month.

4

When ready to cook, heat oil in a pan. Deep fry kikiam on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Slice before serving.